Pipe organ assembly



April 16, 1957 s. e. BOWMAN 2,788,695

PIPE ORGAN ASSEMBLY Filed May 10, 1954 lll I.

mmvrozc Samuel 6. Bowman United States Patent PIPE ORGAN ASSEMBLY Samuel G. Bowman, Mount Lebanon Township, Allegheny County, Pa., assignor of one-half each to Anna H. Bowman and James M. Guthrie, Crafton Borough, Pa.

Application May 10, 1954, Serial No. 428,451 4 Claims. (Cl. 84-342) My invention relates to pipe organs, and consists in certain new and useful improvements in the means for supporting organ pipes securely, yet without impairment of faithful sound-production, in operative assembly with the rest of the organ structure.

The object of the invention is to provide improved and simplified organ pipe assembly. Another object is to provide an improved support for an organ pipe, a support that is economical and durable in service, and one which does not inhibit the essential sound-producing vibration of the supported pipe.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, showing fragmentarily the air chest of an organ and one of the pipes of an organ, together with a typical pipe support of the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a top-plan view of the pipe-supporting structure.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 2 is applied to the fragmentarily indicated air chest of a pipe organ, with which chest each pipe of a bank of pipes of the organ derives its pipe-vibrating stream of air. While all or some of the pipes of the organ may be located remotely from the air chest and connected thereto by valve-controlled air passages, in the present case I illustrate a preferred construction, in which the organ pipes, or most of them, are mounted in intimate association with the chest.

More particularly, for each of the pipes referred to, a hollow valve housing or well 3, formed of molded plastic or of metal, and fashioned either in circular or in rectangular cross section, mounted to project into the air chest 2. An orifice 4 is provided in the wall 2a of the chest, and the wall of the well 3 is provided with a peripheral flange 5 that is hermetically gasketed and secured to the chest Wall. The otherwise open end of the well 3 is hermetically closed by a cover plate 6, having an orifice 7 in which the air-receiving end of an organ pipe 8 is seated and secured, as by means of a pipe support of my present invention, presently to be described. Screws 11 may be employed to hold the cover plate 6 and well 3 in assembly with the wall of the air chest 2.

As will be understood upon reference to my copending United States patent application, Serial No. 428,452, filed May 10, 1954, communication between the interior of the air chest 2 and the pipe 8 is afforded by means of two axially aligned orifices (not shown) located in opposite wall portions of the well, and two valves 12, normally seated in closed positions upon the said orifices severally, are adapted to be opened upon the pressing of a certain key or stop of the organ manual, whereby air under superatmospheric pressure flows into the well 3, and thence through the orifice 7 in the cover or seating plate 6 into the pipe 8. My present invention is not immediately concerned with the structure or operation of the valves 12, nor with the means for op 2,788,695 Patented Apr. 16, 1957 crating them as the organ is played, wherefore reference to my said copending patent application will suffice.

In accordance with my present invention bracket means are provided to embrace the body of each supported pipe, and between the upper end or ends of the bracket means and the vertical body of the pipe a yielding device cooperates with the said bracket means in securing the pipe, which maintaining the faithful tone-producing characteristics of the pipe when it is energized by a stream of air delivered from the chest 2.

Such bracket means comprise two rigid limbs 13 rising from a firm portion of the organ structure. Advantageously, the rigid limbs 13 are formed integrally with, or are welded to, the cover plate 6, with the effect that the screws 11 provide a simple attachment not only for the cover plate 6 and the body of the well 3, but also for the bracket limbs 13. Extending upwardly a sufficient distance from the mounting or cover plate 6 the limbs 13 stand in embracing relation with respect to the louver portion of the pipe body 8. The yielding device referred to above comprises a helical spring 14, fashioned in the shape of a torus, that snugly encompasses the body of the pipe, and that is tack-welded, or soldered, or brazed at the points 15 to the upper portions or distal ends of the limbs 13. Thus, an effective support is provided for the pipe 8, seated as it is by gravity at its lower end in the open seat 7 in plate 6. This yielding, though secure, engagement of the pipe body does not interfere with the required resonant characteristics of the pipe. A simple and highly eifective pipe mounting is provided.

Within the terms of the appended claims various modifications may be adopted without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In combination with the air chest of a pipe organ, and an air-well positioned in said chest and including an air valve and a valve-actuating device for controlling flow of air from the chest into said well; an hermetic cover for said well arranged on the top of said chest and including an open seat for the air-receiving lower end of a vertcially arranged organ pipe, bracket means extending upwardly from said cover in embracing relation with respect to said pipe, and yielding means cooperating with the distal portions of said bracket means at an interval above the top of said air chest for securing the pipe in such assembly while maintaining the faithful tone-producing characteristics of the pipe.

2. In combination with the air chest of a pipe organ, and an air-well positioned in said chest and including an air valve and a valve-actuating device for controlling flow of air from the chest into said well, an hermetic cover for said well arranged on the top of said chest and including an open seat for the air-receiving lower end of a vertically arranged organ pipe, bracket means extending upwardly from said cover in embracing relation with respect to the body of said pipe, and an elastic ring encompassing the body of the pipe and attached to upper portions of said bracket means at an interval above the top of said air chest for securing the pipe in such assembly while maintaining the faithful tone-producing characteristics of the pipe.

3. In combination with the air chest of a pipe organ, and an air-well positioned in said chest and including an air valve and a valve-actuating device for controlling flow of air from the chest into said well, an hermetic cover for said well arranged on top of said chest and including an open seat for the air-receiving lower end of a vertically arranged organ pipe, bracket means extending upwardly from said cover in embracing relation with respect to the body of said pipe, and a helical spring in the form of a torus encompassing the body of said pipe and "anchored to upper portions of said bracket means at an interval above the top of said air chest for securing the pipe in such assembly while maintaining the faithful tone-producing characteristics of the pipe.

4.-'In combination with an air chest of'a pipe organ, and an air-well positioned in said chest and including an air valve and a valve-actuating .device for controlling flow of air from the. chest into said well, an hermetic cover for said well arranged on top of said chest and including an open seat for the air-receiving lower end of a vertically arranged organ pipe, bracket means extending upwardly from said cover along the body of the organ pipe assembled on said seat, and an elastic ring encompassing the body of said pipe and secured to said bracket means at an interval above the top of said air chest for securing the pipe in such assembly while maintaining the faithful tone-producing characteristics of the pipe.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

